Page 23 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

one observer noted, it was unusual
to apply a military designation to a
winning design before that design strike, surveillance, and electronic attack
has actually been chosen. Boeing THE missions.
was awarded a contract to build four During the navy’s August 2018 news
EMD (engineering and manufacturing FUTURE OF conference announcing the MQ-25
development) MQ-25As under an source selection, this author asked if
$805-million contract, and it initially UAVs IN the MQ-25’s carrier landings would be
graded as are those of pilots of manned
received $79 million to begin work on aircraft. One admiral present said the
the four EMD craft. The navy expects to THE CVW MQ-25, because of its precision landing
procure 72 Stingrays in a deal that could capabilities and absence of hands-on
be worth as much as $9.5 billion, with control, would achieve perfection every
the type’s integration into a CVW for An additional bene t of the MQ-25 single time. The then chief of naval
Stingray is that it will give the US Navy
operations, ADM John M. Richardson,
initial operational capability (IOC) taking real-world opportunities to explore added in jest that the main worry was
place by 2024. manned/unmanned teaming and lay the that the MQ-25’s impact spot on the
The prototype is likely to be transferred foundation to bring to the carrier air wing ight deck would wear out sooner than
to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for future UAVs that will be able to conduct any other!
further testing. As the four EMD aircraft
are built, they too can be expected to be protocols will have to be developed and in order to make a UAV tanker e ective
put through extensive testing to include The Northrop re ned so as to not disrupt the routine and a team player in the eet. It’s an
launch and recovery trials at Naval Air Grumman X-47B of carrier operations. The use of the aggressive timeline and the relatively
Warfare Center Lakehurst Division in took on fuel from MQ-25 in the air tra c patterns around low development budgets scared o
an Omega 707
New Jersey. tanker over the the carrier has to be standardized to some potential parties. However, the
The challenging test regimen ahead Atlantic Test ensure smooth functioning. Scenarios MQ-25 is set to revolutionize the face of
will involve technology and procedures Ranges in April such as what to do when the MQ-25 the modern CVW, combining manned
2015, marking
for handling on a ight deck, a di cult the fi rst time itself needs to ‘bingo’ out to an air eld and unmanned aircraft in a world few
environment for manned aircraft, let an unmanned need to be explored. Communications could have scarcely imagined when
alone unmanned assets. The catapult aircraft had links and interfaces with the carrier and tankers rst joined the seaborne order
refueled in fl ight.
launching and arrested landing US Navy the air wing must be thoroughly exed of battle.

Tankers are vital for conventional ‘cat-and-trap’
carrier fl ight operations to extend the combat

radius of aircraft, but also to provide a margin of safety

for returning aircraft in case they are low on fuel

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